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2018 priorities discussed at Sterling City Council work session

City manager promises updates on various ongoing projects

The Sterling City Council members shared a number of projects on their priority lists at a special work session Tuesday, many of which are already in progress, according to City Manager Don Saling.

The council met to discuss things they'd like to see accomplished in 2018. Saling said he would share updates on several of the matters with the council, so they'd know what was going on.

One such issue is nuisance code enforcement. Mayor Dan Torres said complaints about violations are one of the things he hears about most often from residents.

Saling said that city staff have already stepped up enforcement and they have a number of cases working their way through the court system now. He was planning on having a report for the council on code enforcement, which he said he'd deliver sooner rather than later; if the council wants to see cases progress more quickly, Saling said they can give direction to the municipal judge to be less lenient in allowing time for violators to come into compliance.

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Another of Torres' concerns was parking and traffic enforcement, such as the two-hour parking limit and U-turns in downtown Sterling. Sterling Police Chief Tyson Kerr, who was present at the meeting, responded that the only way to enforce the parking limit is to have a dedicated parking enforcement person. He noted that the department is about seven officers short of the national average for communities of Sterling's size. With call volume increasing and each call requiring more and more time, he said the force has to prioritize what they focus on. He did agree that traffic accidents are a big public safety issue, and he said the department has focused on distracted drivers in the hopes that it will help make roads safer.

Janice Rice said two of her priorities were wrapping up an agreement on Sunset Memorial Gardens and addressing the "backwoods" appearance of the Highway 6 corridor from Interstate 76 into downtown Sterling.

Saling said some issues have come up with the cemetery deal, but assured Rice that the city is not causing a delay in reaching an agreement.

He also noted that the Citizens Advisory Board has earmarked funds for a beautification project to add sidewalks on the north side of the highway between the railroad overpass and the river. He said the city is also seeking a state transportation grant to do some work on that area, and suggested renewing efforts to put in an entrance sign out near the new Holiday Inn Express to greet those coming into Sterling from the interstate. He said he would bring that up at the next CAB meeting.

Other suggestions brought by council members included a review of the city's incentives to attract businesses; putting in LED lights in city parks; continued work on trails; revisions to the city's animal control ordinances; and developing a "free-cycle" site for residents who have things that are still useful but they don't need.

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Appelhans said he agreed with his fellow council members on a lot of their issues, and also suggested renewing efforts to sell the Buffalo Hills property east of I-76. Saling suggested putting up billboards to advertise the property for sale; Appelhans also suggested the city could invest in some infrastructure on the site to make it more attractive to developers. He sees development on the property as a way to offset some of the costs of upcoming projects.

Saling told the council that while he expects 2019's budget will again be conservative, the city finished 2017 with larger than expected fund balances in many of their funds, due to more revenue coming in and lower expenses than projected. He has also identified some additional funds that will be available in 2019 for various projects; he said more information will presented in the upcoming annual report. "I think we're going to have money for next year," he said.

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